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Dec. 29, 1925. 1,568,025

w. R. WALKER SWITCHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1923 L U L -3 27 I H U228 Q 7 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEY WARREN 3R. WALKER, @F NEW DORE, NEW YORK.

SWITCHING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 15, 1928.

I1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN R. WALKER, a citizen of the'United States, and resident of New Dorp, Staten Island, county of Richmond, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switching Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches for making one electrical connection simultaneously with the breaking of another and to a system of mutually controlled switches in which sharp and quick switching is obtained in one circuit immediately upon a complementary action in another circuit.

The object of this invention is to provide a system of switches for railway signalling, sign flashing, control of automatic and semiautomatic machinery, and so on in which is desired the closing of one electrical circuit at the same instant that another electrical circuit is opened. In such systems a quick, sure and positive action of one switch is desired on the actuation of another switch and simultaneous therewith. This device is designed to provide and further to pro vide that the switch which is open is held open by means of a circuit controlled by the switch which is closed and is continued to be so held until the closed switch is opened. In signal circuits, sign flashers, and similar devices commutators are commonly used for controlling a plurality of circuits but there is no positive control of one circuit over onother to insure the proper co-operation in the different circuits and misoperation in the opening and closing of one circuit is not checked up in the other circuit.

In the drawing I have shown a switching system for two circuits the switches of which are mutually controlled through means that insure that one circuit remains open while the other is closed. These means are solenoids, one in each switch circuit, the solenoid in one circuit being magneticall connected. to the switch of the other circuit and being energized through its respective circuit when said circuit is closed to keep the other circuit open. Cooperating with each solenoid is a spring which actuates'its respective switch to close it quickly and positively on the (lo-energizing of its respective solenoid and to hold it closed until the switch is opened by a switch openin cam which is mounted on a rotating or osci ating shaft.

Serial No. 674,814..

In the drawing 10 is a panel on which are pivotally mounted the panels 1 and 2 at 16 and 17 respectively. The mercury switches 11 and 12 are mounted respectively on the panels 1 and 2. The cam 7 rotates about 15 and at certain points in its rotation actuate the arms 13 and 14 which are connected respectively to the panels 1 and 2. The solenoids 3 and 5 which are fixed on panel 10 serve to hold their respective switches 11 and 12 open after the opening of one by the cam 7 and the closing of the other by its respective spring 4 or 6. Solenoid 3 is connected to the circuit of switch 12 through the electrical connections 26, 27 and 28, and solenoid 5 is connected to the circuit of switch 11 through connections 29, 30 and 31. The spring 4 is compressed between washer 24 fastened to armature 18 and washer 22. Likewise spring 6 is compressed between the washers 23 and 25. The pins 8 and 9 stop the movement by their respective springs 4 and 6 of the arms 13 and 14 which are pivotally connected respectively at 20 and 21 to armatures 18 and 19. The cam 7 is actuated by a suitable timing device through a shaft connected to it at 15. The Wires 29 and 31 lead to signalling, lighting or other apparatus controlled through 11. Likewise 26 and 28 connect 12 to some major apparatus. y

The application of this device in sign flashing apparatus (by means of which one set of lamps is illuminated immediately upon and simultaneous with the extinguishing of another set) being used as an example, the operation of this device is as follows: Beginning for the purpose of illustration with the device in the position shown in the drawing, upon the clockwise rotation of the cam 7 by means of some timing motor the arm 13 is moved by said cam 7 against the pressure of spring 4. The panel 1 and switch 11 are thereby moved, the latter being sufiiciently moved for the flow or" the mercury therein to break the circuit therethrough. Upon the breaking of the circuit through 11 the solenoid 5, which has been holding switch 12 open, is de-energized'and spring 6 being thereby released expands and moves switch 12 to the closed circuit position, the pin 9 limiting the movement of arm 14 and the switch 12 to this position. Switch 12 now being closed solenoid 3 is energized and switch 11 is continued to be held in the open circuit position after the movement of the cam 7 from contact with the arm 13 and is continued to be so held until the cam moves in turn the arm 14: to open the switch 12. Switch 12 being open again solenoid 3 is de-energized and switch 11 is brought by the spring 4 into the closed circuit position whereby solenoid 5 is energized to hold switch 12 in the open circuit position as in the beginning of the cycle recited. The cam 7 continuing to rotate circuit 2628 and circuit 2931 are altcrnately energized and alternately de-energized, the one being energized immediately upon the de-energization of the other and conversely. Banks of lamps, one in each of these two circuits, will thus be flashed alternatel and the one will be lighted immediately upon and simultaneously with the extinguishing of the other bank.

When desired I employ the cam 7 to close the respective switches 11 and 12 instead of opening them. In such case I change the mounting of said switches with respect to cam 7 so that when they are moved to their extreme positions by the cam they will be closed thereby. To conform with this change I reverse the direction of pull of solenoids 3 and 5 and reverse the tension of springs 4 and 6, the solenoids and their armatures 18 and 19 being suitably changed so that the solenoids move the armatures toward the cam instead of away therefrom.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately, in combination, a switchlng means a second switching means, means controlled by first of said switching means for holding the second said switching means in the open position and means controlled by second said switching means for holding the first switching means in the open position.

2. In switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately, in combination, a switching means a second switching means, means controlled by first of said switching means when it is in the closed circuit position for holding the second said switching means in the open circuit position, and means controlled by the second said switching means when it is in the closed circuit position for holding the first switching means in the open circuit position.

3. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately in continuous succession, in combination, a switching means, arsecond switching means, means controlled by first of said switching means when it is in the closed circuit position for holding the second switching means in the open circuit position, means controlled by second said switching means when it is in the closed circuit position for holding the first switching means in the 0 en circuit position, means tending to move fiist said switching means into the closed circuit position, means tending to move second said switching means in the open circuit position, and means for moving alternately the two said switching means into their respective open circuit positions.

4. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit in'imediately on the opening of another, in combination, a switch in one of said circuits having in series therewith a solenoid winding, a switch in the other said circuit having a solenoid winding in series with it, an armature in the first of said solenoids mechanically connected to the said second switch and an armature in the second of said solenoids mechanically connected to said first switch, and means for actuating said switches alternately.

5. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately, in combination, a switch in one of said circuits having in series therewith a solenoid winding, a switch in the other said circuit having a solenoid winding in series therewith a solenoid winding, an armature inthe first said solenoid mechanically connected to said second switch and an arms.- ture in second said solenoid mechanically connected to first said switch, means tending to move first said switch into the closed circuit position, means tending to move second said switch into the closed circuit position, and means for moving said switches alternately into their respective open circuit positions.

6. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately, in combination, a switch in one of said circuits having in series therewith a solenoid winding, a switch in the other said circuit having a solenoid winding in series therewith a solenoid winding an armature in the first said solenoid mechanically connected to said second switch and an armature in second said solenoid mechanically connected to first said switch, means tend ing to move first said switch into the closed circuit position, means tending to move second said switch into the closed circuit position, and a cam for movin said switches alternately into their -respect1ve open circuit positions.

7 In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse altel-nately, in combination, a switch in one ofsaid circuits having in series therewith a solenoid winding, a. switch in the other said circuit having a solenoid winding in series therewith a solenoid winding, an armature in the first said solenoid mechanically connected to said second switch and an armature in second said solenoid mechanically connected to first said switch, means tending to move first said switch into the closed circuit position, means tending to move second said switch into the closed circuit position, and a rotating cam for moving said switches alternately into their respective open circuit positions.

8. In a switching apparatus which automatically closes one circuit immediately on the opening of another and the converse alternately, in combination, a switch in one of said circuits having in series therewith a solenoid winding, a switch in the other said circuit having a solenoid winding in series therewith a solenoid winding, an armature in the first said solenoid mechanically connected to said second switch and art armature in second said solenoid mechanically connected to first said switch, means tending to move first said switch into the closed circuit position, means tending to move second said switch into the closed circuit position, and a rotating cam for moving said switches alternately into their respective closed circuit positions.

Signed at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, this 14 day of November A. D. 1923.

WARREN R. WALKER. 

